Weather-strip



(No Model.) 7

- J. LATHROP.

v WEATHER STRIP. No. 394,864. Patented Dec.",18, 1'888.

1 0itmaooe o 861;; M Gr mm Suva/M301 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES LATHROP, OF NORIVICI-I, CONNECTICUT.

WEATHER-STRIP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,864, dated December 18, 1888.

Application filed June 12, 1888. Eaerial No. 276,817. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES LATHROP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norwich, in the county of New London and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in \Veather-Strips, which improvements are fully set forth and described in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of portions of a door and door-frame with a weatherstrip embodying my improvements attached thereto, the door being shown as swung open and the weather-strip or plate lying flat on the sill. Fig. 2 shows detached enlarged views (side and edge) of the lifter- 5 and its fastening-staple 4.. Fig. 3 is a detached view of said staple.

This invention has for its object the improvement of that class of weather-strips described in Patent No. 56,209, issued July 10, 1866, to F. C. Gridley. In said class of strips certain objectionable results have been found to exist in practice. The constant action of the free end of the sheet-metal lifter employed in such devices heretofore soon scrapes and digs out a hole in the engaging portion of the door and renders the weather-strip inoperative. lt also frequently occurs that the hinged plate that forms the weather-strip becomes clogged by ice or from other causes and refuses to lift when the door is closed, in which event the lifter is bent or broken and rendered unfit for further use.

My purpose is to remedy these defects and to provide mechanism forliftii'ig the weatherstrip that will be as indestructible and as positive in action as the door itself.

In the drawings, the reference-figure 2 indicates the weather-strip proper, formed of sheet metal and hinged to the door-sill 3 by wire staples el.

5 indicates my new form of lifter, made of stiff wire with one or more coils, 6, about midwayof its length. Said lifter is secured. to the sill 3 at one end of plate 2 by the staple at in such position that one end of said lifter projects under the said plate. As a convenient means for rocking the lifter 5 to cause it to raise the plate as the dooris closed, I insert in said door a pin or screw, 7, said pin being so located that it engages the free end of the lifter as the door approaches its closed position, and thus rocks said lifter and brings the plate up into engagement with the door to exclude all snow, rain, or cold air.

The described method of coiling the lifterwire to make its hinge also provides a spring that yields to the pressure of pin 7 when the plate becomes clogged and refuses to rise, and so prevents the breaking or bending of said lifter.

Myimproved device, as here described, is

of very simple construction, may be cheaply.

produced, and may be applied by any person of average intelligence without special instruction.

Having thus described my invention, I claim In combination with a plate hinged to a door-sill, a door adapted to swing into engagement with said plate, having a projecting pin, '7, near its hinge side, as set forth, a wire lifter coiled to form a yielding hinge, and a staple clamping said lifter-hinge to the sill, one arm of said lifter lying under the plate 2 and the other arm projecting upward into the path of pin 7, substantially as and for the objects specified.

' JAMES LATHROP.

Witnesses:

FRANK H. ALLEN, ALLEN TENNY. 

